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I can't talk about the full line of Chaparral knives as this is my first and only Chaparral. But holy cow is this knife great. A full grain cutting machine with the CTS-XHP blade, the perfect gimping on the top as well as the finger choil. It seems like everything coming out of the Taichung factory is some of Spyderco best knives and this one is no exception. The fit and finish is one example. the Spydey hole is well chamfered. The deep carry wire clip is a favorite and all coming in at just 2 ounces. Let's see. Better blade steel, better clip, less weight and better fit and finish. Bye Bye Delica. You had a nice run while it lasted.
I've owned this knife this it was released. Having wanted a Chaparral for a while, but the prices for the Ti, stepped etc were insanely high in my opinion. One of the smartest things Spyderco has done was to put out this LW version. This design, super thin for the pocket, with good ergos, with Spyderco's highly underrated bi-diectional scales, and add with it CTS-XHP blade steel. ALL for under $100!! With all said above, it's arguably the perfect EDC knife that gets A Lot if pocket time, deservedly - and it has some very solid contenders. To conclude, the LW Chaparral is a no brainer, particularly at it's price point.
Light weight and shaving sharp out of the box. Removed the pocket clip because I prefer pocket carry. The blade lock spring is stiff when closing but it should never close on your fingers when using.
What makes a perfect EDC depends upon your tastes and what you actually do everyday. I live in the suburbs of a major city and only use a knife a few times a week to open packages, cut twine, etc. I want an EDC knife that slices well, is easy to carry, and doesn't draw unwanted attention to itself in either the pocket or the hand. For me the Chaparral Lightweight is as close to perfect as I ever expect to own. The blade shape is versatile and 2.8" is my ideal length for being useful without being scary. It slices better than any knife I have ever used, and the ergonomics are good for its size. See below for more on that. When closed, the knife is surprisingly small and thin, and has a deep carry wire clip. The Chaparral has flaws that don't bother me, but might bother you. It is put together so tightly that you can't just flick it open, and the lock is also stiff. The handle is fine for a few minutes of use, but it is so thin that you wouldn't want to use for hours at a time. I love wire clips, but mine is a bit too tight.
After having mine for a couple days and using it at work for simple tasks of opening packages, cutting some cardboard and cutting up a chicken breast for lunch (INCREDIBLE SLICER)...this thing is awesome! Showed up in a tiny Spyderco box and I was immediately thinking, this thing is going to be tiny. Already had my Sage 5 on me today and in comparison the Sage 5 looked like a beast compared to the Chap. But after getting it in hand, the Chap feels amazing. Unique frn pattern in quite grippy. I wear a Medium-Large size glove depending on the mfg and when I choked up using the finger choil, there was still room to spare on the handle behind my pinky. Finger choil is great, the backlock isn't nearly as stiff or hurt the thumb like I've seen people complain about in reviews (Mike). It is so slim and literally disappears in your pocket. No problem carrying anything else in the same pocket, my phone which is in an otterbox doesn't get hung up on it at all. Thus far, I am extremely impressed with this little knife. It's not as fun to play with as the compression lock on the Sage 5, though it's to close with just one hand. Depress the back lock, give it a small shake and the blade falls. I honestly think that this Chap may become more of an edc for me than my Sage 5, when it comes to being at work.
I absolutely love the Chaparral. It is slim and lightweight yet handles my needs perfectly. I like the lightweight in my daily carry and the slim profile in my dress mode. It came crazy sharp allowing me to cut anything ... cardboard, labels, string, rope (seldom) ...anything I have put the edge to has succumbed to that razor sharpness. I typically do not use a pocket clip, but this one is comfy and easy. I agree that the lock is stiff but I happen to like that. I was born with a thumb that can double as a pry bar :) Great job Spyderco and KC.
This is as close to EDC perfection as I have found in fifteen years of collecting. It is surprisingly small, even having seen the specs beforehand. However, the ergonomics of the handle and the 50/50 choil make it quite comfortable. For reference, I’m between and XL and an XXL glove size. The weight and size make it unnoticeable in the pocket. And the thin blade stock and flat grind cut exceptionally well. All in all, I could not be more pleased.
This is a great little knife for EDC. The knife is light, well made, has great steel and rides nicely in a pocket when carrying. As with most Spiderco products I highly recommend it.
It's the perfect pocketknife for 'pocketknife' tasks. I wish more folders had blade stock this thin. There are plenty of tough steels that would work in this format (52100, 14C28N, LC200N, Magnacut, Cruwear, etc). Not sure why we don't see more variety in the ultrathin range. Also, my copy wasn't stiff or uncomfortable to use--the action is very comparable to the Delica, if not smoother.
The fit and finish are great. It is a very small and light knife. The biggest problem is that the back lock is extremely stiff. My wife actually could not operate the lock. My hands are pretty strong but it still takes considerable effort to close the knife. The texture on the scales is also rather rough. The knife is nice for smaller cutting tasks but it is not the kind of knife that you are going to want to be opening and closing all the time. I think it will be a great option for a light, easy to carry knife for occasional use.
After reading so many positive reviews, I decided to pick up one those knives, and am glad I did. Fit, finish and overall quality is what I expect from the Taichung factory - all superb. The little details say a lot: the part of the tang that engages the spring is polished, to make the action smoother. Let's get the one negative out of the way: the lock-back spring/detent is strong, and when combined with the thin blade (thinner than the DF2), closing the knife is less comfortable than ideal. I can open and close the knife with one hand, as the blade will drop with a small shake if the lock if fully dis-engaged, but if I had to open and close a knife 60 times in a row, this wouldn't be my first choice. Pluses are the slimness of the knife and blade (with a nice steel), and it rides deeper in a pocket than the DF2 because it does not have a lanyard hole and the clip is closer to the end. Compared to the DF2, you can get a good grip without using the choil, on top of the slightly longer blade.
This knife is great medium size EDC and slicer. Blade came razor sharp from the box. The opening was a little stiff at first but is breaking in nicely. Dual texture grip and jimping make the knife feel very secure in hand. The back lock is a little stiff but nothing I can't deal with. At $90 the with the CTS-XHP steel you aren't going to get much better for the money.
Unfortunately the backlock on this knife was so stiff that it not only hurt my finger when trying to retract the blade, I felt unsafe when closing it.
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Close-up of hand holding knife, opening or unsheathing knife, and then closing or sheathing knife.
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